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South Australia has 98 “last-resort refuges,” which are either firesafe buildings or open areas that people can go to if flames are bearing down on them.

Gentry said one of the keys to Firesafe is that the education component is tailored to every age, for whatever length of time is needed to complete a curriculum based on national guidelines, and with the entire family, including guardians and other siblings.

Enter Firesafe Together, a new multiagency program in Buncombe County that works with referrals from schools, the community, law enforcement agencies, Buncombe fire departments, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and social services agencies to first educate, and then treat, youths up to age 18 who are at risk of setting fires or have already been involved in one.

“Every kid is different, that’s why we do an evaluation,” said Breena Williams, who serves as the administrator of Firesafe.

Deputy Fire Marshal Terry Gentry says the key component of the new Firesafe Together program is education for the teens and their entire family.